"reference Level" for AVR-2807 or 987?

[Erock1]

First, best wishes to all for a very healthy & happy New Year! :D

I own the Denon AVR-987 which I'm told is identical to the AVR-2807. I just got hold of a SPL meter and want to setup my speakers with it. I've searched the forums and didn't find an answer so here goes.

Does anyone know what the master volume "reference level" is for either the 987 or 2807?

I'm a bit hesitant to use "0" for fear of blowing a speaker.

TIA,
Eric

[axs]

[QUOTE=Erock1]First, best wishes to all for a very healthy & happy New Year! :D

I own the Denon AVR-987 which I'm told is identical to the AVR-2807. I just got hold of a SPL meter and want to setup my speakers with it. I've searched the forums and didn't find an answer so here goes.

Does anyone know what the master volume "reference level" is for either the 987 or 2807?

I'm a bit hesitant to use "0" for fear of blowing a speaker.

TIA,
Eric[/QUOTE]
Use 0 for setup/calibration. You will most likely be listening at volume in the range of -15/-20 most of the times.

[Bob Pariseau]

[QUOTE=Erock1]First, best wishes to all for a very healthy & happy New Year! :D

I own the Denon AVR-987 which I'm told is identical to the AVR-2807. I just got hold of a SPL meter and want to setup my speakers with it. I've searched the forums and didn't find an answer so here goes.

Does anyone know what the master volume "reference level" is for either the 987 or 2807?

I'm a bit hesitant to use "0" for fear of blowing a speaker.

TIA,
Eric[/QUOTE]

Most likely "0" is intended by the manufacturere to correspond to 85dB for reference level source content when played through speakers of average efficiency, in a normal, home sized listening room. Obviously there are a lot of assumptions built into something like that. So "0" corresponds to some target output voltage but does NOT correspond to any fixed audible volume level.

If the test tones in your receiver vary according to the main volume setting, then one typical approach is to set the main volume at -10dB and then use your SPL meter to adjust the level for each speaker to 75dB when playing the test tone through each speaker.

Set up that way, you will do most of your listening between -10 and -30dB on the main volume. But if you want to crank things up you can most likely go above -10dB, at least to 0dB, without introducing distortion or clipping.

Movie theater sound systems are calibrated to generate 85dB for reference source content levels, but most people find this too loud for home use. Thus the typical recommendation is to calibrate for 75dB. So if you set things up as above, you know that -10dB on your main volume is the "home" calibration level whereas 0dB on your main volume is the "theater" calibration level. Of course what volume you actually use when listening to something is entirely up to you.

If your receiver's test tones are independent of the main volume setting, you are likely to find that if you calibrate the individual speakers for 75dB this will also be produced during normal listening when the main volume is set to -10dB. That is, it is typical that the fixed test tones correspond to a -10dB setting on the main volume for just the reasons given above.

Just keep in mind that the absolute level you choose to target when balancing your speakers is much less important than making sure each speaker measures the same level when measured the same way. You can always turn the volume up or down to adjust the absolute level so long as your speakers are all balanced one against the other.
--Bob